Paternal Emotional Bonding and Social Anxiety in Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Self-Concept
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/qkshe638Keywords:
Father-child Bonding, Self-concept, Social Anxiety, Middle School Students, MediationAbstract
This study examined the relationship between father-child emotional bonding and social anxiety among junior high school students, focusing on the mediating role of self-concept. A sample of 478 students (grades 7–9) from a middle school in China completed self-report measures of paternal bonding, self-concept, and social anxiety. Results showed that paternal emotional bonding was positively correlated with self-concept (r = 0.17, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with social anxiety (r = -0.20, p < 0.01). Self-concept was negatively correlated with social anxiety (r = -0.16, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis using bootstrap methods revealed that self-concept partially mediated the relationship between father-child bonding and social anxiety (indirect effect β = -0.03, 95% CI [-0.07, -0.01]). These findings suggest that a strong father-child emotional bond directly reduces adolescent social anxiety and indirectly alleviates it by enhancing positive self-concept. Demographic differences indicated that females reported higher self-concept than males, only children reported stronger paternal bonding and self-concept than those with siblings, and both paternal bonding and self-concept increased with grade while social anxiety decreased. Implications for family education and school-based interventions are discussed.
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